Improvement in sponge-cups



C. PRENTIS, Zd.

SPONGE-CUP.

Patented March 6 l 'Il I N-PvEl'ERS, PHDTO-UTHOGRAFMER, WSHINGTON. D. C4

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIGE same, is a clear, true,

f with a CHARLES PRENTIS, 2D, OF NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN sPoNeE-cuPs.

To all lwhom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, CHARLES PEENTrs, 2D, of the city and county of New London, in the State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sponge- Cups, for use in counting-houses, banks, 85e.; and I do hereby declare that the following specification, taken in connection with 'the drawings furnished and forming a part of the tion thereof'.

My improvements relate to that class of sponge-cups in which the sponge may be ro tated; and my invention consists ofthe combination, with a suitable cup, -of a shaft having one or more prongs for axially engaging sponge or sponges, and a linger-wheel mounted on said shaft, whereby the sponges may be readily rotated without handling them. r, To more Vparticularly f tion I will refer to the `ings, in which- Figure I represents one of my improved describe my invenaccompanying drawt sponge-cupsinperspective. Fig.II represents the same in longitudinal vertical central section. Fig. III represents, in perspective, the cup with its cover, sponges, and sponge-shaft removed therefrom. Fig. IV represents the sponge-shaft detached.

A denotes the cup proper.. It is, in this instance, divided into two distinctcompartments by a central partition, as at a, which is pro vided with a central vertical slot, as at b. The ends ofthe cup at the inner sides are vertically grooved centrally, as at c, so as to afford at the bottoms of the grooves bearings for the ends of the sponge-shaft B, which, when in position, occupies also the slot b, and

l has a bearing at the bottom thereof.

, The shaft B is provided with a linger-wheel,

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No, 188, l S5,

A February 19, 1877.

and complete descripdated March 6, 1877; application filed as at d, which has a diameterl large enough to render its periphery accessible through .a central opening in the cover e of the cup.

On each side of the finger-wheel the shaft is provided with a fork, as at f.

The spon ges g are trimmed so as to be cylindrical in form, and are mounted upon the shaft with the forks properly entered, .so that a rotation ofthe shaft will secure the rotation ot' the sponges.

It will be seen `that if water be supplied to the be revolved therein, as time to time.

When two compartments are employed, one sponge may be used as a pen-cleaner, and the other for use when counting bills. The fingerwheel enables the sponges to be readily roa small quantity of cup, the sponges may may be required from tated without soiling the fingers.

The sponge-openings in the cover may be provided with lids, whereby dust may be excluded when the cup is not in use.

It is obviously not essential that the two sponge-compartments be connected, as shown, and I propose in some cases to employ two or more separate cups, with the shaft extending into all of them, and the finger-wheel located thereon wholly outside of and between the cups.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination, with a sponge-cup, ofthe sponge-shaft, its fork or forks, and the nger- -wheel for rotating the shaft, substantially as described.

CHARLES PRENTIS, 2D. 

